Lexus Japan has announced some minor updates for the LM, with the updated luxury MPV set to go on sale there from August 1 this year. Available only with the LM 500h powertrain, the model can be had as either a four-seater (Executive) priced at 20.1 million yen (about RM578k), or six-seater (Version L) at 15 million yen (RM432k) – figures include local consumption tax. According to the company, vibration-damping and sound-absorbing materials have been added and expanded around the rear wheelhouse and tailgate of the LM to reduce road noise from the rear tyres and vibration noise from the tailgate. For the Executive variant, passengers in the rear seats will no longer need to reach up to the overhead console to operate the power-sliding doors. This is because Lexus has moved the controls to the rear centre console, which it says “allows for smoother access to the door switch while seated.” Meanwhile, the space where the door switches used to be now has a downlight to light up the interior even more, and there’s a new tray on the centre console to store a smartphone and small items. Another change made to the LM involves the various interior lights, which now have an increased maximum luminance in both the Executive and Version L variants. Lexus says this allows customers to adjust the brightness of the interior to suit their preferences. Beyond these changes, the rest of the LM remains the same as before. The LM 500h features a T24A-FTS 2.4 litre turbocharged inline-four petrol engine making 275 PS (271 hp or 202 kW) and 460 Nm of torque. This is augmented by a front electric motor (1ZM) rated at 87 PS (86 hp or 64 kW) and 292 Nm, with drive going to the front wheels via six-speed Direct Shift automatic transmission. A separate electric motor (1YM) at the rear with 103 PS (102 hp or 76 kW) and 169 Nm creates an all-wheel drive setup with a total system output of 371 PS (366 hp or 272 kW) and 550 Nm. The electric motors are linked to a 28.8-volt, 5-Ah nickel metal hydride battery. The current, second-generation LM was first revealed in April 2023 and was launched in Malaysia in May 2024. We get the LM in two variants, including the four-seat LM 500h at RM1.468 million on-the-road without insurance, and the seven-seat LM 350h for RM1.228 million.
